Max Verstappen admits his biggest challenge for winning the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix is not pure speed, but finding where he can pass Lando Norris on the narrow Madring street circuit. The Red Bull driver will start third, just over a tenth down on polesitter Norris and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
“It will be tough,” Verstappen said skeptically. “Even in a best-case scenario, if you are faster, you can’t pass. There are no corners where you can overtake. So you need to rely on people degrading their tyres very aggressively. The long runs were very tough, a lot of degradation for everyone, so that will probably be the key point tomorrow. But even with that, I still need to figure out a corner where to pass.”
Verstappen was fairly satisfied with his qualifying performance. The lap time deficit is his closest to pole since Monaco, where he was just 0.043s down on Antonelli. “It was alright. I haven’t been in the top three so much this year, so for me it was a good qualifying,” he said. “The car made some nice improvements, and we were in a decent window from the start. But where we struggle a little is always that final sector, where we don’t seem to get our deployment like our competitors, and that makes it very tough to match.”
He added that he didn't leave much on the table. “Every qualifying, from Q1 to Q2 to Q3, just nice progression. There were not really things I left on the table, just more like a few limitations within the car that we know we have, plus the deployment in the final sector where we just didn’t seem to fully get it right. But that’s qualifying, the race is again very different.”
Asked if his Q2 advantage of 0.160s over Antonelli could indicate his true pace, Verstappen downplayed it. “I think I was also one of the only ones that used two sets, so it’s not really a fair comparison,” he clarified.
With the Madring circuit known for minimal overtaking opportunities, Verstappen may have to rely on tyre strategy and pit stops to challenge Lando Norris. However, he realises that without on-track passing chances, his victory hopes hinge on mistakes from rivals or extreme tyre degradation. The race will be a test of strategy and patience for the Dutchman.
Read Also
F1's first race at Madring promises five key factors: Antonelli's start advantage, chicane chaos, tyre degradation, pit strategy, and driver pressure.
Hot Madrid weather to grip 2026 F1 Spanish GP. Lando Norris on pole, temperatures up to 31°C, no rain, tyre degradation a key concern.
Ferrari changes power unit strategy for Spanish GP: Hamilton reverts to older engine, matching Leclerc's spec. Impact on performance and internal battle.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!